Method and apparatus for packaging



W. C. LEASURE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING April 3, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 30, 1961 INVENTOR WALL/HM c LEfiSUPE ATTORNEYS April 3, 1962 w. c. LEASURE 3,027,696

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed Jan. 30, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 3, 1962 w. c. LEASURE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 30, 1961 INV EN TOR WILL/17M c. maak United States Patent 3,027,696 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING William C. Leasure, Houston, Tex., assignor to Mira-Pair, Inc., Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Jan. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 85,830 8 Claims. (Cl. 53-28) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for packaging and more particularly to a method and apparatus in which the former and sealing jaws reciprocate maintaining the packaging material in continuous movement from the roll and packages may be made at the same rate as prior art devices while moving the parts of the mechanism at one half the speed of such prior art devices. The present application is a continuation-in-part of my prior application Serial No. 5,916, filed February 1, 1960, now Patent No. 2,969,627.

In one type of prior art packaging machinery such as shown in the Zwoyer Patent 1,986,422, issued January 1, 1935, strip material is passed from a roll over a former so as to be shaped into tubular form. A pair of sealing and severing jaws are mounted so as to reciprocate into and out of engagement with the tubular formed packaging material. In addition the sealing and severing jaws are adapted to move in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed strip material so that the cycle of operation is as follows: The sealing jaws move upwardly free of the packaging material and inwardly to grasp the material and form the top seal of one package and the bottom seal of an adjacent package. While the jaws are clamping the packaging material they are moved downwardly to pull the packaging material over the former. At the bottom of the stroke the severing means separates a completed package and the jaws release and are in position to start the next cycle. Apparatus of this type is also shown in my prior Patent 2,- 899,875.

There is disclosed in my prior application Serial No. 5,916, filed February 1, 1960, now U.S. Patent No. 2,- 969,627, another type of packaging apparatus in which the sealing jaws are adapted to move into and out of engagement with the packaging material but the former is movable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed strip material and reciprocates with respect to the sealing jaws. The cycle of operation of this type of apparatus is as follows. Commencing with the former in its lowermost position and the sealing jaws engaged with the packaging material, the former is moved upwardly so as to draw the packaging material over the former. The sealing jaws release the severed lowermost package and the former then lowers to pass the tubular formed packaging material between the jaws. The sealing jaws close when the former has reached its lowermost position so as to form the top seal of one bag and the bottom seal of the bag to be next formed. The advantages of a method and apparatus such as this are fully set forth in the prior application referred to above.

The present invention combines many of the features of both of the types of packaging equipment described above and utilizes an apparatus having a moving former and a pair of jaws reciprocably mounted to move into and out of engagement with the packaging material which jaws also reciprocate along the same axis as the former. Since both the former and the sealing jaws are movable along the longitudinal axis of the packaging material, each of these parts moves through one half the distance passed through by the former or jaws alone of prior packaging machines as described above and thus, the parts can move at one half the speed of the devices referred to above and yet produce packages at the same rate as such prior art packaging equipments. In addition, as will become more fully apparent hereinafter, according to the present invention the packaging material is moving continuously from the roll as the machine is cycling and this is of obvious advantage in achieving a smooth operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for packaging wherein both the former and sealing jaws reciprocate parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material so that the same rate of package formation may be achieved while the parts are moving at one half the speed of similar prior art equipments.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging apparatus and method wherein the packaging material is moving continuously from the roll while the apparatus is cycling.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent upon consideration of the following detailed specification in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 to 4 are diagrammatic drawings showing the sequence of operation of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of packaging equipment incorporating the present invention, and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view thereof.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views there is shown at 1 in FIG. 1 a roll of packaging material which may be of any suitable type and is generally flexible so that it may be shaped in the desired package configuration. The packaging material passes from the roll 1 under and over a series of rollers 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The roller 4 is mounted so as to be slidable vertically in the frame and is provided with spring means to tension the packaging material any desired amount.

The packaging material engages the former 7 after passing beneath roller 3 which is mounted on the former support so that roller 8 will move with the former. The former is mounted externally of the packaging material and is adapted to shape the strip material into a sub stantially tubular form. This former may be of the type shown in greater detail in my prior Patent 2,899,875, issued August 18, 1959. While one particular type of former is disclosed, it is to be understood that many types of formers may be used and achieve the purposes of the present invention.

A pair of sealing jaws 9 and 10 are mounted beneath the former 7 and these jaws may be of a type well known in the prior art and shown for example in the patent to Zwoyer, Patent No. 1,986,422, issued January 1, 1935. Such sealing jaws are generally provided with heating elements so as to heat seal the packaging film or, of course, such jaws could be provided with other types of sealing means. In addition such jaws may incorporate severing means so as to separate the individual packages The sequence of operation of the present invention is as follows: With the parts as shown in FIG. 1 the former 7 is at the limit of its movement parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed packaging material in a direction away from the sealing jaws and the sealing jaws 9 and 10 are at their limit of movement parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed packaging material in a direction away from the former. The sealing jaws are shown as in engaged position and have completed forming the top seal of package 1.1 and the bottom seal of an adjacent package 12. The severing means within the jaws operates so that when the jaws 9 and 10 move outwardly to the FIG. 2 position the package 11 is freed for removal.

After the jaws 9 and 11 move to the open position as shown in FIG. 2 the jaws 9 and 16 move in a direction towards the former along the longitudinal axis of the packaging material as shown in FIG. 3 and the former 7 moves in a direction towards the scaling jaws along the same axis. It can be seen that as the former 7 moves downwardly from the upper limit of position thereof packaging material is drawn from the roll 1 and is advanced to a position between the rollers 6 and 8. A pair of snubbers 13 mounted on the former engage the packaging material allowing the packaging material to advance but preventing the packaging material from being pulled off the former backwardly to a position between the rollens 6 and 8 as the former moves downwardly.

When the former and jaws have moved tothe end positions thereof most closely adjacent, the jaws 9 and 10 then move from the open position as shown in FIG. 3 to a closed position as shown in FIG. 4 wherein the jaws form the top seal of package 12 and the bottom seal of an adjacent package. The sealing jaws 9 and It) then move to the original position shown in FIG. 1 and the former 7 moves to its FIG. 1 position. It can be seen that as this motion occurs the movement of the jaws 9 and 10 and movement of the former along the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed packaging material will draw packaging material from the roll 1.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 there is shown one embodiment of a packaging machine incorporating the combination of a movable former and a movable pair of sealing jaws, both elements being movable along the longitudinal axis of the tubular shaped packaging material.

A base has oppositely disposed vertically extending frames 21 and 22 mounted thereon, these frames forming convenient housings for the drive means and electrical connections for the operative parts of the packaging equipments. The sealing jaws are shown at 23 and 24 (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6) and these jaws are rcciprocatably mounted for movement into and out of engagement with the packaging material within a frame 25. The specific means to reciprocate the jaws and to provide sealing and severing means within the jaws forms no part of the present invention and may be any well known prior art mechanism.

The frame 25 is mounted to reciprocate in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed packaging material and for this purpose the frame is provided with outwardly extending securing flanges 25 and 27 which extend through vertically disposed slots in frame members 21 and 2,2.

The former 28 is mounted on a base plate 29 which has outwardly extending securing flanges 3t and 31 which pass through slots in the frame members 21 and 22.

There is mounted on the base plate a motor 32 having a crank arm 34 fixed to the output shaft thereof. Journalled on the crank arm is a connecting link 35 j which drives a sprocket 36 with a reciprocating motion as the motor rotates crank arm 34. A chain 37 engages sprocket 36 and passes over sprockets 33 and 39 and the ends of the chain are connected with the flange 31 on the former support 29 and the flange 2 7 on the jaw frame 25. A shaft 49 extending from motor 32 is journalled in frames 21 and 22 and provides an identical chain drive for the opposite sides of the former and jaw frame. 7

It can be readily seen that the reciprocating sprocket 36 will drive the former 28 and jaw frame 25 together to the position shown in FIG. 6 when rotating in one direction and will drive the former 2t; and jaw frame 25 apart to the FIG. 5 position when rotating in the opposite direction.

It can thus be seen that according to the present invention both the former and the sealing jaws move in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material. Both the former and jaws move through half the distance of the jaws or former alone of prior packaging equipments. It can be readily appreciated then that the former and sealing jaws will need to move at only one half the rate of movement of prior art packaging equipments as described hereinbefore in order to achieve the same rate of package production as such prior art packaging machines. Furthermore, the packaging material is in continuous motion during the cycle of operation due to the fact that one half of the required package length is taken from the roll during the downward movement of the former and the other half of the required package length is taken from the roll during the downward movement of the sealing jaws. Actually at the instant the former and sealing jaws reach the end points of their motion along the longitudinal axis of the packaging material, the roll of packaging material might stop instantaneously but for the presence of the tensioning roll 4 which acts to maintain the roll in continuous motion. The use of such tensioning rollers is, of course, well known in the art. Thus, the disadvantages of a starting and stopping type of motion of the packaging material common to previously employed packaging equipments are avoided.

The filling of the individual packages is achieved in the same manner as set forth in my prior application Serial No. 5,916. That is to say, filling of the package with product commences with the parts in the FIG. 4 position, with the jaws engaged and the former in its lowermost position. Filling may continue during the upward movement of the former and the downward movement of the jaws until the parts have reached the FIG. 1 position and may even continue after the jaws have released as shown in the FIG. 2 position. It is, of course, essential that the product be disposed within the package when the parts have reached the FIG. 3 position at which time the jaws are to form the top seal of the package.

It is evident that the ratio of former and sealing jaw longitudinal movement need not be 1 to l but may, in fact, vary to suit any particular operational requirement.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A method of packaging comprising the steps of passing strip packaging material over a former to shape the strip material into substantially tubular form, reciprocating sealing jaws into and out of engagement with the packaging material. reciprocating the former and sealing jaws in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material, the former and sealing jaws being brought towards each other while the sealing jaws are out of engagement with the packaging material and the former and sealing jaws being moved away from each other while the sealing jaws are in engagement with the packaging material.

2. A method of packaging comprising the steps of passing strip packaging material over a former to shape the strip material into substantially tubular form,'reciprocating sealing jaws into and out of engagement with the packaging material, reciprocating the former and sealing jaws in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material, the sealing jaws and former moving in opposing relation to draw strip material continuously from a roll, the former and sealing jaws being brought towards each other while the jaws are out of engagement with the packaging material and the former and sealing jaws being moved away from each other While the seal- 7 ing jaws are in engagement with the packaging material. 7

3. A method of packaging with packaging apparatus having a former and sealing jaws comprising the steps of passing strip packaging material over a former to shape the strip material into substantially tubular form, moving the former towards the sealing jaws in a direction parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the packaging material for a distance approximately one-half of the length of the package to be formed and simultaneously moving the sealing jaws towards the former in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material for a distance approximately one-half the length of the package to be formed, engaging the sealing jaws with the packaging material, feeding product to the package being formed moving the former away from the sealing jaws in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material for a distance approximately one-half the length of the package to be formed and simultaneously moving the sealing jaws away from the former in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material for a distance approximately one-half the length of the package to be formed, forming the top seal of the package the bottom seal of the package having been formed by the preceding cycle and simultaneously forming the bottom seal of the next succeeding package, and severing the formed package and releasing the sealing jaws.

4. A method of packaging with packaging apparatus having a former and sealing jaws comprising the steps of passing strip packaging material from a roll over a former to shape the strip material into substantially tubular form, moving the former towards the sealing jaws in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material for a distance approximately one-half the length of the package to be formed so as to draw packaging material from the roll and simultaneously moving the sealing jaws toward the former in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material for a distance approximately one-half the length of the package to be formed, engaging the sealing jaws with the packaging material, moving the former away from the sealing jaws in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material for a distance approximately onehalf the length of the package to be formed and simultaneously moving the sealing jaws away from the former in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packaging material for a distance approximately one-half the length of the package to be formed so as to draw packaging material from the roll, forming the top seal of the package the bottom seal of the package having been formed by the preceding cycle and simultaneously forming the bottom seal of the next succeeding package, and severing the formed package and releasing the sealing jaws, the packaging material being continuously drawn from the roll.

5. Packaging apparatus comprising a former for shaping strip packaging material from a roll into tubular form, a pair of sealing jaws, means for reciprocating said sealing jaws into and out of engagement with the packaging material, means for moving the former in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed packaging material, and means for moving said sealing jaws in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed packaging material, the sealing jaws and former moving in opposing relation to draw strip material continuously from the roll.

6. Packaging apparatus comprising a former for shaping strip packaging material from a roll into tubular form, a pair of sealing jaws, means for reciprocating said sealing jaws into and out of engagement with the packaging material, means for moving the former in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed packaging material, and means for moving said sealing jaws in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed packaging material, the sealing jaws and former moving in opposing relation to draw strip material continuously from the roll, the former and sealing jaws being brought towards each other while the sealing jaws are out of engagement with the packaging material and the former and sealing jaws being moved away from each other while the sealing jaws are in engagement with the packaging material.

7. Packaging apparatus comprising a frame, a former mounted in said frame for vertical reciprocating motion, means for reciprocating said former, a pair of sealing jaws, a support mounting said sealing jaws for horizontal reciprocatory motion, means for reciprocating said sealing jaws within said support, said support being mounted within said frame for vertical reciprocatory motion and means for reciprocating said support whereby said former and said sealing jaw support alternately move in adjacency and in spaced apart relation.

8. Packaging apparatus comprising a supporting frame, a former for shaping strip packaging material into tubular form mounted in said frame for slidable movement therein along the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed strip material, a pair of sealing jaws, means for moving said sealing jaws into and out of sealing relation, said sealing jaws and said moving means being mounted in said frame for slidable movement therein along the longitudinal axis of the tubular formed strip material, drive means interconnected with said former and said sealing jaws for sequentially moving said former and sealing jaws in a direction towards each other and in a direction away from each other, said sealing jaws being out of sealing relation when said former and sealing jaws are moved in a direction towards each other, said sealing jaws being in sealing relation when said former and sealing jaws are moved in a direction away from each other.

No references cited. 

